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March 2011	Connecting you to everything Smithsonian
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Alexander Calder ponders two of his creations, "Edgar Varese" and "Untitled."

» Hard Wired "Calder's Portraits: A New Language" National Portrait Gallery Opening 3/11/2011 Alexander Calder (1898-1976) is best known for kinetic mobiles and the large-scale sculptures that can be found in almost any major city of the world. But surprisingly, Calder was also a prolific portraitist. Working with just wire, Calder fashioned hundreds of 3D likenesses of such greats as Jimmy Durante, Babe Ruth, Marion Greenwood and Charles Lindbergh. On view at the National Portrait Gallery through August 14, these whimsical caricatures are suspended from the ceilings and pop from the walls to take on a life of their own. The exhibition also displays Calder's wire-designed personalities in juxtaposition with portraits of the subjects selected from the Portrait Gallery's extensive collection of contemporary photographs, drawings and caricatures by such artist-illustrators as Paul Colin, Paolo Garretto and Miguel Covarrubias. "Calder's mobiles and sculptures represent some of the highest achievements in 20th century American art," says Martin Sullivan, director of the museum. "This exhibition explores his lesser-known yet imaginative portraits offering insights into both Calder's perspective and his sitter's personalities." Learn more » View all exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution » The exhibition offers comparisons between the stylized 1929 portrait of Babe Ruth by Italian artist Paolo Garretto and one by Calder. Alexander Calder's 1936 portrait of the iconic sports legend, Babe Ruth.			Advertisement » Smithsonian Blogs On Smithsonian.com's science blog: - Mar 10: Fourteen Fun Facts About Squid, Octopuses and Other Cephalopods - Mar 09: Cities as Seen by Locals or Tourists - Mar 08: When is the Right Time to Mate? Where paleontology meets pop culture: - Mar 10: Tapeworms, Trematodes and Other Dinosaur Pests - Mar 09: Tyrannosaurus Scat - Mar 08: An Early Preview of AMNH's "World's Largest Dinosaurs" Exhibit On Smithsonian.com's newest blog: - Mar 10: Chugging Maple Sap - Mar 09: Lent in the Fast Lane - Mar 08: Mardi Gras, Po-Boys and Streetcar Strikes » Institution Blogs An art blog from Smithsonian American Art Museum Picture This: Freestyling in the Luce Center A blog from Smithsonian Journeys Dispatches from Africa, Part 2: Angola to Sao Tome and Principe A blog from the National Museum of American History Made in America Redux
» Exhibit Ault's 1943 painting of Woodstock, New York, Black Night at Russell's Corners. "To Make a World: George Ault and 1940s America" Opens 3/11/2011 Smithsonian American Art Museum Travel back to war torn America through artist George Ault's precise yet eerie paintings that depict quiet, mysterious vignettes and capture the anxiety of life on the home front. » Event All ages can explore the world of atoms, molecules and nanoscale forces. NanoDays 4/01/11-4/03/2011 National Museum of American History Join the Lemelson Center as it presents hands-on activities, experiments and lectures, for both kids and adults in the realm of the really small, or nanotechnology—the study of controlling matter on an atomic and molecular scale.
» More Exhibits History in the Making  "100 Years at the National Museum of Natural History" National Museum of Natural History Closing 3/20/2011 Riots and Ruins  "Directions: Cyprien Gaillard and Mario Garcia Torres" Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Closing 3/27/2011 Another Side to Famous Faces  "The Kennedys 50 Years Ago" National Museum of American History Now - 4/10/2011 Glamorous Gems  "Set In Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef and Arpels" New York City's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Now - 6/05/2011 Powerful Portraits  "Close to Home: Photographers and Their Families" Smithsonian American Art Museum Now - 7/24/2011 In the Deep End  "Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan" Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Now - 7/31/2011 Fire Starters  "Artists in Dialogue II: Sandile Zulu and Henrique Oliveira" National Museum of African Art Now - 12/04/2011 Rainbow Connection  "Color Moves: Art and Fashion by Sonia Delaunay" New York City's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Opening 3/18/2011 More featured Exhibits » » More Events Beware of Dog From Pygmy Hippos to Cats and Cattle: The First Residents of Cyprus and Their Unique Menageries Dr. Alan H. Simmons (Professor of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas) presents an illustrated lecture on early settlements in Cyprus, the residents' domestication of animals and even the oldest known "pet" cat! National Museum of Natural History 3/12/2011, 1-2:30 Admission: Free Strong Women Artist Talk with Margarete Bagshaw: 3 Generations of Pushing Boundaries Join Pueblo painter Margarete Bagshaw for a lively, illustrated talk about her art and the art of her mother, Helen Hardin (1943-1984), and her grandmother, Pablita Velarde (1918-2006). National Museum of the American Indian 3/12/2011, 2PM Admission: Free; Live Webcasts With Open Arms American Sign Language (ASL) Art Signs Gallery Talk Look for specially trained ASL volunteer gallery guides, who will offer a 30-minute gallery discussion about an artwork in the American Art collection. Smithsonian American Art Museum 3/12/2011, 2:30 and 3:30 Admission: Free; walk-in Spring Fever Nowruz! A Persian New Year Celebration Welcome the Persian New Year with a full day of free activities, featuring storyteller Xanthe Gresham, chef Najmieh Batmanglij, family activities and more. Freer and Sackler Galleries 3/13/2011, 11-4:30 Admission: Free View Full Events Calendar »
» goSmithsonian.com Blog Recent Posts: Mar 10 Thomas Jefferson's Bible Is Sent to the Conservation Lab Mar 09 Must See: Bill Cunningham New York Mar 09 The List: 7 Ways to Celebrate Women's History Month Advertisement » From Smithsonian.com Finalists Announced Check out the 50 shots our editors named finalists and vote for the Readers' Choice Award Article from Smithsonian magazine » » From AirSpace.com Space Shuttle 1981-2011 Thirty years of adventure and exploration. Article from Air & Space magazine » -Advertisement- The Place You Thought You Knew Would you like to live through the only experiences and surroundings with the best hospitality, in Mexico you will discover the extraordinary sights in every place that you visit, in its nature, its culture, its people... Mexico the place you thought you knew.

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Photo Credits: Courtesy Ugo Mulas Archives; © 2010 Calder Foundation, Artists Rights Society (ARS); National Portrait Gallery; © 2010 Calder Foundation, Artists Rights Society (ARS); The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, John Lambert Fund; NanoDays 2011, Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Network)